And How It Came To Pass
by Domenic
Summary: Ever since he fed him the stones, Envy pretty much threw custody of Wrath to Sloth. Why'd he do that?


Title: And How It Came To Pass 

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: meh, entire series

Summary: Ever since he fed him the stones, Envy pretty much threw custody of Wrath to Sloth. Why'd he do that?

Notes: This was just something written a while ago that wasn't posted up immediately upon completion...meaning, I'm still very much in a Pirates mood, even if I seem to have a helluvalotta trouble writing it. ;;

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.

"She'll leave us soon."

"Master, Sloth's loyal."

"No she isn't, Envy," Dante snapped, and Hoenheim's Sin shrugged his shoulders, his own way of asking her to elaborate.

"Yes, in the beginning, she was simple to control, but now as time passes she is getting more restless."

"Of course." Envy was giving a nasty smile now. "You have her all cooped up behind that desk, you should let her **kill** more--"

"Sloth is where I want her to be." Dante stared at Envy from her wizened, wrinkly face, and he decided to bite.

"Problem is she doesn't want that." The Monster hunched down and chuckled. "Deja vu, anyone?"

"I'd rather not have a repeat of Greed," she replied, sipping at her tea.

Envy's eyes glinted. "Oh really?" He straightened up, playing with his ivy locks. "I don't know, sometimes I get the impression that if certain things were different, you'd have her be your little toy too." The Monster looked back at his Master, lopsided grin spread out, face leaning into his folded arm, having nestled himself onto the couch. Dante chose not to answer and offered him a dead silence instead. Envy sighed dramatically; it always bugged him when she got all ancient in her bodies—not that he would refuse to entertain her in such a state, never deny his want to take her in bed...the problem was her vanity, she wouldn't **let** him have sex with her. Dante would never have it unconditional, she had to be her very best and youthful; it infuriated the Monster to no end.

And of course being that ancient, it was very hard to beat the living shit out of anyone, so Sloth was really quite lucky in the time of her arrival. Had Dante been efficiently able, she would've thrown reason to the wind and just do whatever the hell she wanted with the leftovers of Hoenheim's whore...driving another pawn away just as surely as she drove Greed to run. (Envy was no fool, he was more objective, he could see this simple truth where Master could not.)

Obviously, that didn't happen, Dante had thought more clearly, Sloth made a good servant...at least, that's what the Monster had been thinking.

&&&&&&

Now, curious things have happened to Envy in recent years.

He had become fond of people other than Dante. Well, they were Homunculi, so maybe they didn't count that much, but still...

Greed and Gluttony, the double G's he still had no feeling for—well, no, Envy had no feeling mingled with annoyance for Gluttony, and Greed...words couldn't **describe** his widdle Avarice brother. (Best to skip him.)

The Monster grew to enjoy sharing malice with Pride; guy may seem to be uptight, but he could be deliciously demonic. (They fucked each other sometimes.)

Greed—damn him—would've cheerfully said Envy had to love the first female Sin; maybe something new did play into it, and Lust was certainly hot. Point was, Lust never annoyed him, and they did work well together. (They fucked each other too.)

And Sloth. Envy should've hated the little bitch, but her own malice had won him over, and he always pitied how Master wouldn't let her go after the Elric brothers. She was just as hot as Lust, and had the same inability to annoy him. (He had the most fun fucking her.)

Bottom line: the Monster didn't particularly look forward to losing Sloth.

After that discussion with Dante, he widened his eyes and saw that the youngest Homunculus definitely had no reason to stay. Like anything else, it all came down to self-benefit: Sloth had been persuaded by the quest for humanity in the beginning, but she always had a quick mind—she realized the full scope of her power, and deemed it something not to be callously traded in for a fleshy, maggoty, **mortal** existence.

Actually, all such knowledge had been put on the table when Sloth foolishly and innocently told Master not to worry about including her in turning the others human, she was fine as is. (As crafty as the Homunculus was, she was still **young**.) At least Dante didn't immediately explode at Sloth like she would've with Greed; she sat back and waited and watched, observing and predatory.

Envy knew something had to be done, but he didn't feel that motivated to look for a solution; he'd watch and wait like his Master.

And opportunity did fall into his lap.

The miracle Homunculus, banished back to the Gate, yet freeing himself with human purchases of Equivalent Exchange, thus able to do **alchemy**... (Good thing someone like Lust hasn't thought of just using Wrath to make the Philosopher's Stone, that would complicate matters for his Master.)

"Okay Squirt, this is Sloth; Sloth, Wrath." She gave an honest, gentle smile, bending down to his eye level; the boy stared at her shyly from beneath his curtain of wild hair.

"A pleasure to meet you, dear." Wrath finally, hesitantly returned her smile. "Do you remember seeing me?" The brat slowly nodded, and Envy arched a brow.

"Joy, more mind-fuckery," the Monster sneered with an exasperated sigh; the whole thing with the newest Homunculus had been one mind-trip after another.

"It makes sense if you think about it," replied Sloth as she stood back up, unconsciously taking Wrath's hand. "He was in the Gate while I was coming out, and I passed him, caught a glimpse...even though I did not understand at the time."

Envy just shrugged, and Sloth gave a tiny smirk.

"I got out 'cause of Ed's arm, and he gave that up for his brother's soul, and that was taken away when they made you..." He looked up at her, and she met his eyes, violet on violet. "Thanks." She nodded, still smiling, and began leading the boy farther down the coast; only Envy caught Wrath's whispered "Mother."

The Monster smirked, pleased that his plan was working.

&&&&&&

Days passed, and already Sloth was asking why he had barely looked at Wrath since he found him.

"Why else?" Envy gave a toothy grin, knocking his feet back and forth from his perch above. "Don't want him." Sloth frowned then, but didn't pester him about it.

He watched her return to the newbie, smirking to himself. By now, Wrath had thoroughly talked of his need to be human and Sloth had listened intently, had spoken an aside to Envy that "his plan of taking Edward's body is far too crude, the Philosopher's Stone will work better..." It was set in stone now: Sloth would stay, bound to her "son;" she would give him his humanity, the best way she knew how—follow Dante.

Envy leaned back and chuckled to himself; Fullmetal Shrimp and his Sin may deny it, but blood always can tell: they'd do **anything** for someone they "loved."


End file.
